…excellent piece, Francine! College affordability and the significant decline of government funding over time is lost on many. College was once affordable, where one working a summer job could make enough to get them through the cost of a year of college. States and the federal government subsidized the cost heavily, as you mentioned, as a national public investment. The evil of neoliberal conservatism and its push to privatize public services, including education, has led us to this point where a college degree isn’t financially feasible for most Americans. Thank you for bringing this important topic to light.